Inside The Orioles

Baltimore Orioles Reveal Controversial Choice for Team MVP Award

Some Baltimore Orioles fans were not happy with the results of the Most Valuable Oriole award.

Tyler Maher

Sep 4, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson hits a single against the White Sox.
Sep 4, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson hits a single against the White Sox. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
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The Baltimore Orioles' season isn't over yet, but that hasn't stopped them from already choosing their most valuable player.

On Saturday, the Orioles named Gunnar Henderson the Most Valuable Oriole for 2024, even though there's still a week to go in the regular season and they've yet to clinch a playoff spot.

The announcement wasn't too surprising, as Henderson has been far and away Baltimore's best player this year. Entering play on Tuesday, the 23-year-old superstar has been worth 8.8 WAR -- third-most in the American League (behind Aaron Judge and Bobby Witt Jr.) and more than twice as many as any other Oriole.

On top of playing shortstop and batting leadoff every day, Henderson leads Baltimore in several offensive categories as well, including runs (116), hits (173), walks (76), total bases (328) and OPS (.903).

And yet, many Orioles fans publicly disagreed with Henderson winning the award, as numerous commenters on the team's post said they thought Anthony Santander deserved the honor over him.

While many of his stats aren't as strong as Henderson's. Santander leads Baltimore in both home runs (43) and RBI (99). His homer total trails only Judge in the AL and is the most ever by an Orioles switch-hitter. His RBI total ranks top 10 in the AL this year as well.

Recency bias may be a factor as well, as Santander has been hitting better lately. He's swatted 34 homers since the beginning of June -- nearly twice as many as Henderson (19), who endured a lengthy slump after the All-Star Break.

Fans have also soured on Henderson's fielding, as he's committed a whopping 24 errors this year. Santander has only committed two, albeit while playing a much easier position (right field).

So while Santander has an edge in the power department, Henderson is a more complete player. He's a better pure hitter, plays a harder position and makes more of an impact on the bases.

He's the team's best player, and also its most valuable one.

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Tyler Maher
TYLER MAHER

Tyler grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

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